The Legacy Begins
by EveryNewDay
Summary: She is the one who started it all, the one who was bitter over the Hunger Games, who wanted to change things. She couldn't erase what she had seen, what she had done. Not even death could keep the memories at bay. She is the reason there was a legacy to begin with, a small continous strand of family in the Games. She was the beginning: Darena Martindale.


**Sorry for the really long wait on this story. This is a prequel to my other story _Legacy of District Four. _I think you can still read this story even if you haven't read _Legacy of District Four. _I hope everyone likes it and please review if you get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins.**

I looked down at the arena. I was watching everything, seeing all the deaths that occurred. It saddened me when the boy from my district died from a slit throat, courtesy of that brutal boy from District Two. He was deadly and dangerous. If I were alive still, I would've told her to stay away from him, stay away from the Careers like Finnick told her too. She was stubborn, always so stubborn and strong. I watched that shock of black hair fight her way through the arena. That boy had his eyes on her instantly. You would be a fool if you didn't see it. I wanted her to win so badly, to make me and the family I left behind proud. It wasn't meant to be, and she and the boy passed onto the next world, to peace.

I was a restless spirit. I had died prematurely and horribly. It was broadcasted all across Panem, everyone knew of it. I wanted retribution, someone to show the Capitol we tributes were people too, and worth more than they could ever imagine. I had hoped she would do it, but instead it was Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark who pulled through. Even when I found peace after the Hunger Games were disbanded, I never forgot. I never forgot my Hunger Games, and I don't think death could make the memories go away ever.

* * *

The day of the reaping I woke up to screaming. It was filled with a fear that was almost animalistic in nature, and it was coming from the bed beside me. I walked over to my little sister, to Lena. She was thrashing in bed, still screaming.

"Lena, Lena it's a dream. You need to wake up." I said gently as I shook her to get her to wake up. Her screams died away as she woke up. I could see tears in her emerald green eyes, sweat plastering her black hair to her forehead. I sat on the bed and held her close.

"It's just a dream Lena. You are fine." I soothed. She shook her head.

"No. What if it's real? What if they pick you or Marco?" she whispered in despair. I placed my chin gently on the top of her head.

"They won't. It will be okay. Marco and I will be safe." I said. Lena didn't say anything more. I held her like that until sunlight streamed through the window in our bedroom. The reaping would occur later in the day, and nobody had to go to school or work that day. Panem treated this day almost as a holiday. Lena and I made our way to the kitchen. Mother had already set the table with the bread I had made the night before, and the fish Marco and Father had caught yesterday afternoon. Marco came out of his room, his blonde hair rumpled and messy. He looked at the table, his unfocused blue eyes becoming clearer.

"I thought today was a dream." he said. Lena held my hand, her grip firm for a seven year old. I ruffled Marco's hair with a sad smile.

"Sorry little brother. I have more of a chance to be picked than you since your name is only in there once." I said, trying to be reassuring. Marco had just turned twelve, so this would be his first year in the reaping. I was thankful that Lena was still too young to enter.

"Don't speak like that."Father spoke sharply from the table. His hair was dark, but not as dark as Lena's, with blue-gray eyes. No one knew where Lena got her green eyes from. Father said that his mother had said one of our relatives had green eyes at one point.

"Yes, let's be hopeful." Mother said from the sink. I tried my best not to roll my eyes as I sat down at the table with Father, Lena, and Marco.

"I would if we were guaranteed safety." I muttered under my breath. Lena appeared to be the only one who heard me because I saw her give me a sharp look from across the table, one I knew that meant that I shouldn't start something, especially today. I usually had a kind, sweet disposition, but when it came to the Hunger Games, I grew angry and bitter. We ate in silence, all lost in our own thoughts on what would happen this year. Who was going to be picked? Would it be Marco and I? What was going to happen? I finished breakfast and grinned at Lena.

"I say it's nice outside, nice enough to go fishing, wouldn't you Lena?" I asked her. She grinned back at me.

"Yes!" she turned to face Marco."You can come with us, we could go swimming!" Marco nodded eagerly.

"Don't stay out too long. We need to get you ready for the reaping." Mother warned us. We all nodded, grabbed our swimsuits and fishing poles, and clambered on board our boat called _Little Pearl _that we docked out in District Four's lake_. _Lena kept diving off the boat, scaring the fish away. She was a good swimmer, not as good as Marco though who always jumped in after her. I laughed at their antics.

"You two are scaring all the fish away. We won't be able to fish." I said with a smile as they got back onto the boat. Lena turned serious then. She loved to fish almost as much as I did. She grabbed her fishing pole, and threw the line into the water. I followed her lead and so did Marco.

"Guess we're done swimming." he said with a sigh. I ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry, there's always next time." I said. I was surprised when we only caught two fish, a carp and yellow perch. Normally we get at least five. We trekked back to the house to get ready for the reaping. I wore a simple blue dress, pulling my hair back into a bun. Lena was in a soft green dress. Despite its simplicity, Lena looked pretty as I helped to pull her hair back.

"Why don't I have hair and eyes like yours?" she asked me wistfully. I gave her a smile.

"Because you're different, and we love you for it." I told her. It was time for the reaping. Marco wore a white shirt and nice pants, his hair refusing to stay in place like it always did. Lena stood with the parents and other younger children as Marco and I split up to be with our age groups. The stage was set, the cameras ready, and our district's escort, Trylla, wore a ghastly pink suit, her hair turquoise this year. Of course, her eyelashes were still long and green. I didn't pay much attention to the video that showed the brief history of Panem, or Trylla's introduction.

"Now, let's pick our male tribute for the Sixty-Fifth Annual Hunger Games." Trylla said, snapping me back into focus. She walked over to the glass ball that held slips of paper with the names of the boys in District Four whose ages were twelve to eighteen. She snatched one, walked back to the microphone, and opened the paper.

"Finnick Odair!" she announced. I gasped as I saw a boy with bronze hair walk up to the stage, his emotions in check. I knew Finnick from when I was younger, and he was friends with Marco despite their two year age difference. I knew Lena looked up to him like she looked up to me.

"Now the ladies." Trylla said. She went to the glass ball with the girls' names, reached in and snatched a paper. I don't think I was ever prepared for the name that rang out in the entire district, I don't think anyone is.

"Darena Martindale!" I stood stock still. _No, no, no, this can't be happening, _I thought. The reasonable, non-shocked part of my brain knew it was. Someone gently pushed me towards the stage as I walked towards Trylla. I didn't bother looking at the screen. I knew I looked absolutely terrified. Finnick and I were ushered into the court house to say good-bye to our families. I sat down, my body tense. Soon my family all came into the posh room I was put into.

"No! You can't leave! You can't go!" Lena cried, hurling herself at me. I hugged her hard, getting down to her level so I could wipe the tears away that were streaming down her face.

"I have to Lena. I'll try to win. I can do this." I told her gently. She nodded.

"Be careful. I'll miss you." she said. She pulled back, letting Marco hug me.

"I'll miss you too. Try to win Dee." Marco said. I smiled at the use of my long time nickname.

"I will." Finally, I turned to face Mother and Father. They reached out and hugged me hard, saying nothing. When they pulled back, Mother slipped something into my hand. It was a silver clip that looked like a flower, a lily maybe, with sea-green and emerald jewels in the metal. I looked up at her with tears in my eyes.

"What's this for?" I asked her. She gave me a watery smile.

"Your token. So you won't forget home or who you're fighting for." she said. I nodded, and I sat there with my family, basking in their love. Before they had to leave, Lena gave me one last embrace.

"Good luck Dee." she whispered. I was then ushered onto the sleek, modern train with Finnick that would take us to the Capitol. I glared at the train. The Capitol was forcing us and all the other tributes from our families, our homes, without a care or thought. It was awful, but it was part of Panem life.

"Watch me. I'm more than what you see." I said quietly with determination.


End file.
